NEW ORLEANS — Terrell Suggs’ nickname is "T-Sizzle." The Baltimore Ravens would love for T-Sizzle to heat up Sunday in Super Bowl XLVII. Notch a few sacks. Disrupt the San Francisco 49ers’ offense. Help the Ravens win a championship.

Suggs was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, a dominant force at outside linebacker, but 2012 has not been his best season. He partially tore an Achilles’ tendon during the offseason, then tore a biceps muscle in Week 13. In eight regular-season games he had two sacks—12 fewer than he collected a year ago. He has picked up two more in the playoffs, both in the divisional round win at Denver.

Give Suggs credit for coming back, and for playing at far less than 100 percent. If he can play more like he did in 2011, he could make a huge difference for the Ravens in the Super Bowl.

Having two weeks between the AFC championship game and the Super Bowl gives Suggs extra time to rest his foot, something he hopes to take advantage of.

“You get to heal your body,” Suggs said Tuesday. “You get to really study your opponent. That way, you can give the fans in the world the best game possible between the two teams.”

Suggs has been soaking up the atmosphere in New Orleans after making the Super Bowl for the first time after 10 seasons with the Ravens.

“It’s been a long 10 years, but I’ve been fortunate,” Suggs said. “It’s all been priceless, man. We’ve come close a few times, but to actually get here, it’s very surreal. I’m really appreciating it. I’m going to enjoy this week, and I’m going to take my time getting to Sunday.”

His off-field time will include visits to some New Orleans restaurants, although Suggs was not certain what he would order.

“I can’t answer that," he said. “I’m going to try a little jambalaya. I’m going to try some gumbo. It’s not normally what I eat, but if you’re in New Orleans you have to so I’m going to try.”

Suggs does not have a special pregame ritual, but he was eager to talk about teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo’s routine.

“It involves massage-coconut oil or something, and he stands in the middle of the locker room in his boy shorts or boxer briefs,” Suggs said. “I don’t know what they are, and he oils himself down. We try not to look. If you’re going to the trainer or you just happen to bypass, it’s kind of uncomfortable. But he’s been doing it for four years now, but I don’t want to say we got used to it.”

How Suggs plays Sunday will be no laughing matter, however. The 49ers lost to the Ravens in 2011 when Suggs was at his peak, and the Ravens need him to get Colin Kaepernick out of his comfort zone.

Suggs is also something of a model that the 49ers have used in developing young star Aldon Smith.

“Suggs is very similar to Aldon Smith,” 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “I used him as a comparison a lot of times in explaining to our guys how we need to bring Aldon Smith along. Suggs didn’t play base (defense) his first year in the NFL; he just played nickel. The next year, he was groomed into being a full-time player, and that’s what we did with Aldon Smith.”

Suggs is more than just full time. He can be big-time. That is what the Ravens hope for on Sunday, that Suggs gets his sizzle back.